Kessie VanZan
by Beautiful Secrets
Summary: Kessie fought the dragons the first time with Quinn and the others. But roughly 3 years after they kill the male dragon, more show up, telling them of another male. The secret she holds inside her heart may B the only thing 2 save them but can she do it?
1. Chapter 1

Her little hammer tapped rhythmically against the hinge as she set the door up. She stopped for a second, to try and reach the center of her back, where an itch had been pestering her for an hour. A hand landed, scratching it for her. She looked up and smiled.  
  
"Thanks, Quinn." He nodded, and continued into the tunnel. His bare back glistened with sweat. A sigh passed her lips as she continued hammering the bolt into the hinge.  
  
She stood up, and, leaving the hammer outside, swung the door to make sure it fit right. It closed perfectly. The only problem was that she couldn't seem to get it open again. Quinn walked over to see what her problem was.  
  
"Kes? What's wrong?" She was tugging at the handle.  
  
"It won't open, Quinn." He gently moved her to the side, gripped the handle, and pulled. The door swung right off the hinges, and her hammer came flying up, popping her in the head. She stumbled back, and hit the floor. Quinn dropped the door, and kneeled beside her. She had a couple tears stinging at her eyes.  
  
"Kes? You alright?" he asked. His hand landed on her shoulder, but she shoved him back.  
  
"I quit. I can't do this.I never have been able to, I never will be able to." She stood up, and stepped over the door, heading out into the whole of the tunnel. Quinn sighed, and stood up. A guy walked up him.  
  
"Quinn? She alright?" he asked.  
  
"I hope so, Jared.I hope so," he said.  
  
Kes leaned out the window in the little chapel. Her hands connected, and she could hear the gasps and laughter and claps of the children one room away. They came flooding from the room, and waved goodnight to her. She waved back, but didn't look at them. She was trying not to cry. Quinn walked out, and stood behind her, looking at the moon as it rose.  
  
"Kes?" She jumped, and turned around.  
  
"What?" she asked, walking towards the door.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked.  
  
"What does it matter? Every time something's wrong, you tell me that it will go away. But you know what? It never seems to want to go away. Sure, sometimes it will go away, but for the most part, it won't," she said, and walked outside. Quinn was confused: he didn't understand. Kes had just reached the head of the stairway when a man came rushing by. A few moments later, Quinn came flying the other direction.  
  
"Quinn?"  
  
"Eddie's at it again." he muttered. She followed him down the stairs, and out the door. While he followed the path, Kes leapt on the rocks and over, meeting him on the other side. They raced into the garage.  
  
"Eddie, what are you doing?"  
  
"We are going to go harvesting, Quinn."  
  
"Again? Don't you remember what happened last time you went without permission, Eddie?" Kes asked.  
  
"You stay out of this, psycho. This has nothing to do with you because you are one of them." Eddie said. Kes fell back a step: that was completely uncalled for.  
  
"She is not a psycho, Eddie.you leave her alone." Quinn reached into the jeep, removing the keys like he had way back then.  
  
"Give those back."  
  
"You bloody take 'em from me." Quinn dared. Kes looked around, and stepped up.  
  
"Eddie, if you wish to go harvesting, that's fine. But you are going to walk there, and you are going to walk back, and you will not touch the jeep. And it will be just you, for if you drag anyone else out there, you may never come back, because you may have jeopardized this community, do you understand?" she asked. He glared at her, but nodded. Quinn pocketed the keys, and walked outside. Kes followed him.  
  
"Why'd you stick up for me?" she asked.  
  
"Probably for the same reason why you backed me up," he said. She smiled.  
  
"Thanks, Quinn." She kissed his cheek, and jogged inside. He smiled as she ran off.  
  
She sat in her bed, unable to sleep. Finally, she got up to go downstairs for something to drink. As she passed Quinn's room, she saw a little boy against the wall. She walked over, and picked him up.  
  
"Zene? Are you alright?" she asked.  
  
"I'm scared." he mumbled. The door squeaked open, and Quinn looked out at them.  
  
"Jared said its dragon breath," Zene said, before Quinn could ask anything. He looked at Kes.  
  
"He was just sitting here when I walked by."  
  
"Well, it's not dragon breath. It's just the wind." Zene looked just as frightened as before.  
  
"Alright, come on in," he said. Kes set Zene on the floor, and he ran into the extra bed.  
  
"What about you? Are you alright?"  
  
"Yea." Quinn smiled.  
  
"Do you want to stay in here, too?" he asked. She shrugged.  
  
"It's not my room, so it's not my choice." Quinn reached out for her hand, and closed the door behind her.  
  
Kes rolled over, moving her face nearer to his shoulder. She sighed, and her breath slid up his skin, and into his open eyes. He grunted, and rolled over. When Kes, still asleep, discovered she had more room, she slid over, pushing her body against his. Her lips pressed against his shoulder, and her hand landed on his stomach. Kes' cold hands sent a shiver up his spine. He reached down, holding it to warm her up. His eyes closed, and he fell asleep.  
  
Kes awoke the next morning, her lips beside Quinn's. A tapping sound was buzzing in her ear, and she rolled over. The alarm was going off. Her and Quinn got up, and, ushering Zene from the room, ran to the tower.  
  
"What's going on?" he asked.  
  
"Someone's 'ere." Kes ran to the balcony, and leaned out. A few tanks were pulling up.  
  
"Reminds me of last time," she whispered, and ran from the tower. Quinn followed her, and they ran downstairs, outside, meeting Jared. He handed them each a gun, and they stood, alert, with the others living with them. The top of one tank pushed open, and a guy pulled himself out. Kes stopped. Quinn looked at her, to tell her to come with him, and noticed her face.  
  
"Kes? Are you alright?"  
  
"Come on." she said, and led him down the steps, to the gate.  
  
"Kes, what's going on.?" She didn't answer, but she pulled the door open, and walked out to the tanks. The man on top hopped down, standing in front of her. She turned, handing her gun to Quinn.  
  
"Kes, what are you doing?" She looked back at the man, and laughed. He smiled. She hugged him.  
  
"It's good to see you again, Ricky." Quinn looked around, at his people, and they were equally surprised. Kes stepped back, and touched Ricky's cheek.  
  
"I thought you were dead." He shook his head.  
  
"Those air bastards can't kill us that easily. So, I see you've made some friends."  
  
"Yea, come here." She pulled him over.  
  
"Ricky, this is Quinn. He's one of my best friends here. Quinn, this is Ricky.my brother." Quinn dropped her gun.  
  
"What?" Kes picked the gun up.  
  
"Yea.my brother. He's about.five years older than I am." Quinn nodded.  
  
"What do you want, Ricky?" he asked. Kes dropped her head, closing her eyes.  
  
"Well, I was in troop with Denton, but he was sent here. And when we saw the male flying over head a few weeks ago, without any word from him, we came to find out what's going on." Kes lifted her head.  
  
"Denton is dead, Ricky. He was killed by a male, right before Quinn here killed it." Ricky looked around.  
  
"So that means."  
  
"There could be more than one." Kes pulled Quinn aside.  
  
"Van Zan believed in you more than anyone else, and right now, we need to you believe in me. Let my brother come in. He won't be as big a problem as Van Zan.please, Quinn." Quinn looked down, realizing her hand was holding his. He nodded.  
  
"Open the gates!" he called. Kes smiled, and ran back to Ricky.  
  
"Come on."  
  
"Ride with me, up on top of the tanks." She smiled.  
Kes walked downstairs, to check on the children. Ricky came with her. So did Quinn.  
  
"Kids?" she asked. They quieted, and looked up.  
  
"Kids, this is my brother, Ricky. Ricky is here to help us with the dragons. Ricky, these are the kids of Castle Ru."  
  
"Castle Ru?" She smiled.  
  
"Yea.Short for Ruins. And this is Jared. He helps us watch out for everyone. You knew Alex, right?"  
  
"Yea.."  
  
"She's around here somewhere."  
  
"Who's around here somewhere?" a voice asked. Ricky turned around.  
  
"Alex?"  
  
"Ricky?" He walked over, hugging her. Kes smiled.  
  
"Well, you've met the kids, you've met Jared, and Quinn.I want to say I'm missing someone." She turned to face Jared. He shrugged.  
  
"I don't think so." A little boy came running into the room.  
  
"Ah, Zene. Hey, kid-o? This is my brother, Ricky. Ricky, this is Zene." Ricky shook Zene's hand.  
  
"At some point the kids will introduce themselves to you personally." They smiled.  
  
"But right now, I have to show you around. At the moment, we are standing in the tunnel. It's been here since Quinn, Barlow, and Creedy started living here so long ago."  
  
"Who is Creedy? And Barlow?" Kes looked at Quinn, glad he didn't hear the question, took Ricky's arm, and led him outside of the tunnel, where he wouldn't hear the answer.  
  
"Creedy was Quinn's best friend in the whole world. They'd known each other since they were about five or six. Barlow is a friend of theirs.Now, about two years ago, when you sent Denton here, the dragon lit the sky with fire by torching this Castle. We've fixed it up just enough to continue living in, but that's all. Now, when the dragon torched this place, Creedy was caught right outside the tunnel door. The fire closed the door on Quinn, and killed Creedy. Barlow died a few days after that, because his burns were too severe. Now, Quinn is still touchy about the two of them, so please, do not mention it to him. He'll never forgive me for telling you." Ricky nodded.  
  
"Alright, if you come upstairs, we're in the bedrooms. All the kids sleep in bunk beds. Some of them sleep in rooms upstairs. Jared sleeps in a room, and he shares it with Zene and Raity. He was the one with the scar right above his eye. Don't ask about it. Now, right here is Quinn's room. I sleep down the hall. These two rooms belonged to Creedy, Ajay, and Barlow. No one has been in them since they died. Ajay was the radioman, which I'll explain in a minute. He died the same day as Creedy.burned by the fire." Ricky nodded, and followed her up to the tower.  
  
"Up here we have the tower. In that room is the radio. Someone will listen, and if there's a reason for the alarm, he calls up to the top.from here someone will back up the reason, and the person with the radio will crank the alarm." Ricky nodded.  
  
"Out in that direction is the burial ground. Hundreds of bodies, markers to where they are. Off in the direction are the crops. Quinn, Jared, and I go out there once every harvest season. We pick about eighty percent, coming back within a week to toss the seeds into the ground for the next year." Ricky followed her downstairs, outside.  
  
"Now, if Quinn gets pushed just far enough, he will fight you, and he will try to kill you. Last time, he fought Denton. Got his ass kicked. It took me holding a gun to a couple guys' heads to get them to pull the two apart. The garage is there, and Quinn's horse stays in a barn about a mile to the south." Quinn jogged up, and looked at Kes.  
  
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked. Kes patted Ricky's arm, and headed off to speak to Quinn.  
  
"What's up?" she asked.  
  
"I know he's your brother, but why are you being so kind? Remember when Van Zan was here? You hated him.And you said he had been your best friend when you were little."  
  
"It's a long story, and I don't feel like explaining it." Quinn shrugged.  
  
"Well, has he ever taken down a dragon before?" he asked. Kes turned to see Ricky, and sighed.  
  
"Hang on." She walked over.  
  
"Have you ever taken down a dragon?" she asked.  
  
"About twenty. Why?"  
  
"Just wanted to know." She kicked up some dust on her way back.  
  
"About twenty. Why do you want to know?" she asked.  
  
"Because if he's staying here, he'd damn well better know what he's doing."  
  
"Remember, Quinn. He and Van Zan were together in the Kentucky Irregulars. They fought the first one together." She held up the tooth Van Zan wore the day he arrived.  
  
"Do you remember this?" she asked.  
  
"Of course. I held it in my own hand. Why?"  
  
"Because this was ripped off by Ricky. It was given to Van Zan as an award of bravery. No one else would have been able to stay and fight that dragon like he did. Even if any one of the others with him had had the same epiphany, they'd have run off. Van Zan didn't. He stayed. He fought with Ricky. He took it down. Ricky is made up of the same flesh and blood as I am. There are very few differences between us. And I need you to trust me. If I believe in my brother, you'd damn well better believe in me, understand? If you don't, I'll make you all stay here, and I'll fight the dragon by myself." Quinn shook his head.  
  
"You wouldn't dare."  
  
"Wanna bet?" She walked back over to Ricky, and looked at him.  
  
"Denton gave me this, the day he died," she said. He looked at the tooth.  
  
"He said that if something goes wrong, he wants you to have it." Ricky shook his head.  
  
"He told me that if I got it, to give it to you. You were the only sister he had. He wanted you to have this. You were his only weakness." 


	2. Chapter 2

Kes fingered the dragon tooth as she watched Ricky from her window. He was making sure everything was working right on the tanks. Sighing, she slid the tooth around her neck. It made a soft thud as it hit her chest. As the hinges on her door creaked, she slightly tilted her head to see Jared looking in on her.  
  
"Hello, Jared."  
  
"Quinn wants to know if you were planning to come down for dinner." She shrugged.  
  
"I don't really know. I'm not really hungry. But tell him thanks for asking." Jared smiled.  
  
"I will." He closed the door, and Kes stood up. Wandering to the end of her bed, she pulled the lid open on her fireproof safekeeping box. She reached inside, and pulled out a book, small in size, bigger in weight. She leaned against the box, and flipped through the pages. She looked at pictures of a woman, a little older than her, beside a man, holding a little child. Pictures of Ricky, very little, wrestling with a boy. Then a picture of a family: a mother and father, two sons, and a daughter. The caption beneath made her sniffle:  
  
A family of Van Zan's: Melissa and David, and the children-Ricky, Denton, and Kessie. May happiness and love find them all.  
  
Her family photo. The only one that had ever been taken her whole life before the dragons took over, and burned the world. She sighed as she remembered the last day she'd had with her brothers.  
  
"Kessie! Come on! The parade isn't going to wait for you!" Ricky called. She ran from her room, down the hallway, and passed Ricky.  
  
"Let's go! If we don't hurry, we'll miss Denton!" They raced each other down the sidewalk, to the street the parade was on. A little boy, with short blonde hair, rode about on a unicycle.  
  
"Yea!!! Go, Denton!!" Kes called, cheering. He waved, and kept going. He made his way down the street, Kes and Ricky watching from their original standpoint. The parade turned a corner, but Denton didn't realize it. Turning too late, he skidded. The unicycle flipped out from under him, and he slid down the road.  
  
"Denton!" Kes cried, and ran down the street. Ricky was ahead of her, and when he saw the fire truck, he pushed harder. The truck driver didn't see Denton on the ground. Ricky slid into the road, and pulled Denton out of the way, up into the grass. Kes made her way between the trucks, and sat beside her him.  
  
"Denton?" she asked.  
  
"My knee hurts!" he cried. Then they noticed the blood flowing from the wound. She pulled off her sweater, and tore the arm into pieces. She strattled over his leg, and applied pressure to the wound with her sleeve.  
  
"Where are mom and dad?"  
  
"Kes? Kes, wake up." a voice said, gently shaking her. She dropped the photo book, and shoved him off her.  
  
"No!!" she cried, jumping up. Quinn sat on the floor, shocked. Kes looked around. She was in her room, in the castle. Ricky was outside, Jared was in the doorway.  
  
"No what?" Jared asked. Kes took a breath.  
  
"Sorry.bad dream."  
  
"Are you alright? This is the first time you haven't come down for dinner."  
  
"Yea...I'm fine.sorry." She turned around, and picked up the book of pictures.  
  
"Well, if you need anything, you know where we are." She nodded, and they left the room. Kes sighed, and placed the book back in her box.  
  
It was almost one in the morning, but Kes couldn't sleep. She was wide-awake, flipping through the album again. A knock came at her door.  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
"Jared."  
  
"Come on in." He walked in.  
  
"I thought you were sleeping," she said.  
  
"I could say the same about you.but I saw your light on, so I thought I'd stop in, see how you are."  
  
"Alright, I guess." Jared eyed the leather book in her hands.  
  
"Come here." He walked over, and sat beside her.  
  
"I want to show you my family." She flipped through the notebook. She showed him pictures from birthday's, anniversaries, parades, her family photo, random pictures of her with her brothers.everything.  
  
"Kes?" he asked.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Who is this?" he asked, pointing to one picture. Kes looked down.  
  
"This was my oldest brother.Denton."  
  
"Denton?"  
  
"Yea."  
  
"Wait. Wasn't Van Zan's first name.?"  
  
"Mmm-hmm."  
  
"So that means, he's."  
  
"My brother. The morning before he started to London, he gave me the dragon tooth he wore.the last thing I'd ever gotten from him. Denton was a great guy, and I was his only weakness. That's why you heard us screaming at each other before we went to London. He didn't want me to get hurt." Jared nodded. He dropped his head against her shoulder, and she continued to show him pictures.  
  
"And this was Ricky, when he was five, with his pupp." She looked down. Jared had fallen asleep. She smiled, laid him down, and covered him up. Carefully, and quietly, she put the book back in the chest, locked it, and headed out of the room, turning off her light.  
  
Kes found herself in Jared's bed the next morning, Quinn looking down at her.  
  
"Where's Jared?" he asked.  
  
"He fell asleep in my bed last night." She got up, yawning, and walked passed him, into the hallway. She only got halfway to her room when Jared walked over.  
  
"Why didn't you wake me up?" he asked.  
  
"You looked too cozy. Didn't wanna risk wakin' you and finding out that you couldn't go back to sleep." He nodded.  
  
Kes headed down to the kitchen, for something to drink. Quinn followed her.  
  
"Quinn, what is it with you? You follow me like I'm one of them, someone you don't trust." He shrugged.  
  
"I trust you, Kes, really, I do.It's just."  
  
"Just what?" she asked. He shrugged.  
  
"You've been acting strange lately." Kes shrugged.  
  
"It's not everyday my brother comes with news of another male." Quinn nodded.  
  
"I guess your right." She turned and looked at him.  
  
"How about you? How are you doing?" she asked.  
  
"Fine, why?" She looked at the calendar she'd made, sitting upon the wall.  
  
"It's been about two years now, hasn't it?" Quinn still seemed confused. "Creedy.and Barlow," she said. He looked away.  
  
"Aw, Quinn, I'm sorry." He didn't answer. Kes walked over, and put her hands on his shoulders.  
  
"I'm sorry for bringing it up, but last year." He turned around.  
  
"They were my best friends, Kes. If you lost the two people you started a journey with, how would you feel?"  
  
"I did, Quinn."  
  
"What?"  
  
"When I was twelve. I did lose the two people I started this damned life journey with."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"My mom and dad." He looked up at her.  
  
"Dragons?"  
  
"Dragons. Swooped down during the family picnic and took them. Ricky and I were lucky to escape."  
  
"Jared tells me you have another brother.what's his name?"  
  
"Hm? Oh.Derek. Derek, Ricky, and I barely escaped. It's been so long, I can't believe I forgot." Quinn smiled.  
  
"I do that all the time.When I was twelve, I lost my mum.to the first dragon. The construction workers that she worked with uncovered some kind of void, and it was the dragon.I got out.no one else did. My mum protected me." Kes saw the pain in his eyes as he told this to her, so she stepped closer and put her arms around him.  
  
"Aw, Quinn." He placed his head against her shoulder.  
  
"I know you miss her. Everybody misses their parents, whether or not they loved them." Quinn nodded. Jared stepped into the room.  
  
"Kes? I think something's wrong with Zene." Kes looked at Quinn.  
  
"You alright now?" He nodded, and they headed outside. Zene stood beside the garage, his hands folded against his chest. Kes ran up, and kneeled in front of him.  
  
"Zene?" She placed her hands on his shoulders, looking into his eyes.  
  
"Zene? Are you alright?" she asked. He nodded, but did not speak. Quinn and Jared stood behind her.  
  
"Why are your hands like that?" He slowly lowered one hand, and she looked down. A pair of big dark eyes looked back at her.  
  
"Whoa!" She stumbled back, and looked at Quinn.  
  
"What is this?" she asked. Zene didn't answer. "Can I hold it?" Zene shook his head.  
  
"Why not? I'll be careful." Zene smiled, and handed it to her. At first, she thought it was a cat. But, before she made the comment, she saw the scales. And the wings. Her eyes lifted up to Quinn and Jared.  
  
"A baby dragon."  
  
"What type?" Kes lifted it up, and checked.  
  
"Female." She closed her eyes.  
  
"We have to get rid of it," Quinn said.  
  
"Wait.listen." Her hand slid down the dragon's head. It made a sound, purring. She smiled. "It's too young to know that we are the enemy. It thinks we're friendly. It won't hurt us." Zene nodded.  
  
"But you've seen how big the male's can get."  
  
"Exactly why I think we should keep it. It can help. If it grows under us, it can help us."  
  
"But how do we know that it will go against her own kind?" Kes sighed.  
  
"Good point." She kneeled down in front of Zene.  
  
"You have to put it back where you got it, Zene. I'm sorry."  
  
"But listen to it!" he whined. It's stomach rumbled. She looked at Quinn.  
  
"It feeds on ash, right?" He nodded. She walked inside, and picked up a couple pieces of rotten fruit from the garbage. Coming back out, she set them down in front of the dragon. Zene set him on the ground. It walked over, pulled its head back, and burned the fruit. Kes put the fire out, leaving the ash. The dragon ate it, all of it, leaving nothing there.  
  
"Now, I am going to take you and the dragon back to wherever you found her, and you'll put her back, alright?" Zene started to pout.  
  
"Please, Zene, don't pout. You've got the trip to spend time with it." He sighed.  
  
"Alright, Kes." Zene picked up the little dragon.  
  
"Come on, let's go."  
  
"Oh, no you don't. You aren't going alone. Jared, keep an eye on everyone.and if Eddie tries anything funny, then.find a way to get him not to." Jared nodded. Quinn, Kes, and Zene started off, going through the gates.  
  
Kes followed Zene, and Quinn stood beside her.  
  
"Kes, let me ask you something."  
  
"Sure."  
  
"How come you never told me before?"  
  
"Told you what?"  
  
"That you had a brother." She shrugged.  
  
"You never asked, so I never told you. How come you never told me about your mom?"  
  
"You never asked. What about you?"  
  
"Again."  
  
"Then why now? How come everything has been coming out the past couple days?"  
  
"Because it seems necessary."  
  
"But no one asked." She looked at him.  
  
"You did.." Kes reached out and took his hand.  
  
"And I'm glad you did." He smiled. Zene stopped.  
  
"Zene? What is it?" she asked. He didn't respond.  
  
"Zene?" Quinn asked. They looked up. Smoke rose from an opening before them. As Kes peeked in, she saw the millions of dragons beneath her.  
  
"Holy Christ." She looked at Quinn. Then Zene.  
  
"This is where you got her from?" she whispered.  
  
"Right here, actually." Kes sighed.  
  
"You can't just leave her there.what if she falls?" Zene nodded.  
  
Kes laid on her stomach, and, holding tightly onto Zene's left hand, lowered him to an opening in the wall. Zene set it down, and waved.  
  
"Goodbye, Jess." he whispered. Kes smiled. She lifted Zene, and they started back.  
  
She sat in her room, looking through her trunk, and pulled out her black sweatshirt. A knock came at the door.  
  
"Come in!" she called. Quinn walked in.  
  
"What's up?" He held out the tooth.  
  
"You dropped this." She looked up.  
  
"Thank you, Quinn." He slid it over her head, and she smiled. Jared looked in.  
  
"Quinn?"  
  
"Yea?"  
  
"We've got a problem." 


	3. Chapter 3

Quinn and Kes ran out of the room, and raced down the steps.  
  
"Quinn, please, not again!" she called, trying to keep up with him. He got outside. Ricky stood in front of the men of the castle.  
  
"As I've heard, Van Zan has given a speech to you before, two years ago. Everything he said still applies! Now, who wants to volunteer to go to London.again!" he called. Quinn came flying down the steps.  
  
"Alright, if no one's volunteerin', we'll be draftin'! Kevin, Tate, get the strongest men, and fit 'em with weapons!" he called.  
  
"Ey! I said no!" Quinn called.  
  
"Quinn, don't!" Kes cried. He leapt at Ricky, knocked him to the ground. Ricky stumbled, landing, and shoved Quinn up. Smashed his fist into his chin. They began to fight, Ricky throwing Quinn about like a doll. Kes looked around.  
  
"Stop them!" No one did. They were cheering. She ran to the two fighting guys, standing beside them. Ricky threw Quinn down, rolled him. Sitting on top of him, Ricky hit him. Grabbed his head and threw his fist. Repeatedly.  
  
"Ricky, stop it now!" she cried. He didn't. Kes took a breath.  
  
"STOP IT!" she screamed. They'd stood back up, and Quinn pulled his fist back. She jumped between them, catching his fist. Landed in her shoulder. She flinched, but didn't move.  
  
"Stop acting like children! I told you not to push him too far, Ricky! Now get the hell outta here!" she cried. Ricky growled at Quinn.  
  
"I'll kill ya!" Quinn screamed. Kes closed her eyes, trying to lose the image it created of Denton Van Zan, two years earlier, when he and Quinn did this exact same thing.  
  
"That's exactly what we need to destroy these creatures!" Ricky hollered. Kes shoved him back.  
  
"Get him outta here!" she called. She turned, watched Quinn walk off and sit down. She walked over, kneeled down beside him.  
  
"I don't know how many times I have to tell you that he's about as strong as Van Zan was. Come on, let's get you cleaned up," she said, lifting his chin. He looked at her.  
  
She stood behind him at the sink, holding him around the waist. He poured iodine on his wound, and started to wince.  
  
"Hang on, Quinn.it won't.it won't hurt." He didn't hear her. He stood up straight, and she looked over his shoulder. Quinn took some gauze, pressing it against the wound. She pulled him over, sat him on the chair against the wall.  
  
"Alright, here." She pulled out a piece of leather Ricky had given her.  
  
"Open your mouth."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Just do it." He did so, and she placed it over his tongue, between the two rows of teeth.  
  
"Now, this might sting a little, but bite on the leather, and if you want, squeeze my arm. I won't feel anything." She put some iodine on a bit of gauze, and placed it against the cut on his chin. His teeth slammed against the leather, and his nails dug into her skin. She didn't seem to feel it. After a few seconds, she pulled it back, and tossed the gauze. She poured some iodine onto another piece of gauze, and looked at him.  
  
"Quinn? I need you to close your eyes." He closed them.  
  
"Alright, this is the last one, so hang on just a few seconds." She pressed it against the wound on his forehead. His teeth went to the leather, his nails to her skin. She waited five, six seconds, and pulled it back. She smiled.  
  
"There. Open your mouth." She reached in, taking the leather strap, and placed it on the sink. Tossing the gauze, she stood.  
  
"That wasn't so bad, now was it?" she asked. He looked at her arm. She reached up, and felt the blood.  
  
"Sorry, Kes." She shrugged, put some iodine on a piece of gauze, and pressed it against her arm. No flinching, no wincing, nothing. After a second, she tossed the gauze, and put a bandage around it.  
  
"No problem. But remember: you cannot fight Ricky without getting hurt yourself." He nodded.  
  
"I think I understand that." She smiled, kissed his cheek, and cleaned up the sink. Quinn sighed. She looked down at him.  
  
"You alright?" she asked.  
  
"Yea."  
  
"I think we should go to London, with Ricky."  
  
"Why?" he asked.  
  
"Because, even though you seem mad at him, he needs our help. The draft didn't do anything for Van Zan." Jared ran into the room.  
  
"We've got a problem."  
  
Kes and Quinn ran up stairs, him pulling his shirt on, and followed Jared outside. Ricky was rattling the gate. A dragon was flying down.  
  
"Ricky!" she cried, and ran to the gate. Pulling it open, she pulled him in, and they ran to Quinn.  
  
"Let's go, let's go! ALARM!" he screamed. It started ringing, and everyone was racing down to the tunnel. As Kes ran in, she pulled the door shut.  
  
"Who finished this?"  
  
"Jared did.you abandoned it, remember?" She nodded. Ricky stood beside the door, looking at them.  
  
"Are you alright?" she asked, touching his face. He nodded.  
  
"I was just about to go to London."  
  
"By yourself?" she asked.  
  
"No, no.the others were readying their gear, inside the gate. I chose to wait for them outside." Kes pulled her hand off the door, and headed to the kids.  
  
"Quinn, do we have them all?" she asked. He looked at them.  
  
"You take that side.I'll count these kids." They took a head count, added them, and nodded.  
  
"That's everybody." Kes turned to look at Ricky, putting her hand on Quinn's side.  
  
"Are you sure your alright?" she asked.  
  
"Fine.I'm fine." She smiled, and walked over to him.  
  
"What?" She shrugged.  
  
"I can smile and walk to my brother, can't I?"  
  
"I guess so." She turned her head, looking at Quinn. He was walking to the wall, sitting down, waiting. She sighed, and walked over to him, her smile fading.  
  
"Quinn?" she asked, sitting beside him. He looked up.  
  
"Are you alright?" He didn't answer: his chin dropped against his chest. She took a breath, reached out, and lifted his face. "Quinn?" He shrugged.  
  
"I guess so."  
  
"What's wrong?" He looked over at her.  
  
"Well, I don't think I'm fit to keep any of these people in line anymore." She sighed.  
  
"Quinn, your fit to keep all of these people in line."  
  
"I'm gettin' older, Kes." She smiled.  
  
"Quinn, your still young, and you know that. But, maybe you have a point." He looked at her.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well, I mean, you can't exactly run after these people forever. Maybe you should pass on the torch."  
  
"But to who?"  
  
"How about Jared?" He shrugged.  
  
"Yea, I think that could work. But, even though I think I'm gettin' too old for this, I can still chase the kids around, and keep Eddie in line, and."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"Now, hang on. What reason do you have to tell me to shut." She leaned over and kissed him. Alex walked over to Ricky, putting a hand on his back.  
  
"I thought Kes said something about you datin' him." She shook her head.  
  
"She's liked him longer. She's hurt longer. I stepped aside." Kes pulled back, and looked at him. He stared at her, and the kids stared at them. Kes gave them one sharp look and they continued talking. Before Quinn could say anything, Kes got up and walked over to Ricky.  
  
"I choose to go with you to London, no matter what it takes. Now don't try to stop me, because Denton tried it too and he lost." Ricky nodded. Quinn stood up.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"I'm going to London with him."  
  
"What about you, Quinn? You coming with?" he asked. Quinn looked at Kes, and Alex, and over at the kids.  
  
"Yea, I'm coming with." Kes smiled.  
  
"Well, when we leave the tunnel, you guys can get your rest. Then we'll go." Kes nodded, and walked to the door.  
  
"How long have we been down here?" she asked, putting her hand against it. Quinn look at her watch.  
  
"About twenty minutes. We'll wait another thirty." She nodded, and walked back to the wall, sitting down. He sat beside her.  
  
"Don't ask me why I kissed you." she said. He reached out, touching her hand.  
  
"But why did you?" he asked. She sighed.  
  
"Because I felt like it.for the first time in my life I like someone who actually talks to me. What else was I to do? Go to London without." she stopped, and looked up at him. He put his arms around her shoulders, and hugged her.  
  
She placed her fingers on the cold, dampened doorknob, and pushed it open. The sunlight had begun to fade when they came into the tunnel. Now it was almost completely gone, creating a blue effect on everything inside the castle. Quinn and Kes made their way up the steps, with Ricky and Alex behind them, and everyone else behind them. Kes wandered up the steps, looking around. The dragon had gone, leaving them alone, for nothing had been touched. She headed to her room, ready to go to sleep. Pushing open her door, she saw the blue light flood in past her, grabbing for every dark spot it could before the door closed. Someone walked up behind her, and, without turning her head, nodded.  
  
"Hello, Jared." He nodded.  
  
"Hi, Kes. Are you feeling alright?" She turned around, to face him.  
  
"Of course. I'm fine. Why?"  
  
"Quinn said you were acting strange in the tunnel." She sighed.  
  
"Well, aside from kissing him?"  
  
"Why did you kiss him?" he asked. Kes sat down on her bed, and crossed her hands in her lap.  
  
"Since the day I met him, I've cared about him so deeply that it hurts me. When we first fought the dragons like this, when Denton and Alex first arrived, I knew things would change. And when he fell in love with Alex, and she fell in love with him, the pain was so overwhelming I." She stopped, trying to think. Jared sat down beside her. Quinn stood outside the door, listening intently. He never knew any of this.  
  
"I couldn't get more than ten feet from my room. Don't you remember, when I was confined to the bed? People had to run around for me. And honestly, I hated that. But the pain had become so overwhelming, it was pure luck I was still breathing. One night, Alex found me curled into a ball outside, crying. When she asked what was wrong, and I got mad and started off, but she got me to finally tell her. She realized what she'd put me through, but I didn't care anymore. By that time, I'd realized something." She lifted her eyes and met Jared's.  
  
"You can't always get what you want, even if it's something you wanted longer than whomever got it." Jared put an arm around her, and she dropped her forehead against his shoulder.  
  
"I just.I care so much, and it's like it never mattered to anyone."  
  
"It mattered to me that you cared. You look out for me, you always have." She smiled.  
  
"That's nice to hear, Jared. At least I'll always have you and the kids to talk to.but your growing up so fast, it feels like just yesterday you were the little boy we had to take everywhere." He laughed.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Really. You hated being left behind. Most of the time, I'd stay back and watch you because the guys wanted to hang out.which is also probably a sign that he never really liked me more than a friend, and even then." She stopped, and looked at the floor. Jared hugged her. Quinn took a breath, and walked away.  
  
"And it never helped that my brother had to die last time.he was never supposed to die. But I guess he had to be all high and mighty, and help save the day. I miss him." Jared stood up.  
  
"Listen, I want you to cheer up. If Quinn only likes you as a barely-there friend, then it's his loss. But don't put yourself down over it, alright? You're the most amazing person I know." He kissed her forehead, and walked out. She smiled.  
  
"I'm glad you think so."  
  
Morning came, and Kes walked outside, tugging at the bottom of her sweatshirt. Ricky looked up.  
  
"Where's Quinn?" he called. She looked up.  
  
"I thought he was out here!"  
  
"Not yet. Is he still in there?" Kes sighed, waved her arm, and ran back upstairs.  
  
She raised her hand, and knocked on his door.  
  
"Quinn? You in there?"  
  
"Yea." Kes pushed open the door, and walked inside.  
  
"What're you doing, Quinn? We're getting ready to go to London." He looked up.  
  
"I have to tell you something." Kes walked over, and stood beside his bed. He sat there, staring at his hands.  
  
"What is it?" He sighed.  
  
"Kes, I heard you, last night. When you were talking about me.about how you feel." She bit her lip.  
  
"Listen, Quinn, I."  
  
"Let me talk, Kes. You were always my friend, but when the dragons and the Americans came last time, I saw a side of you I had never seen before. You were more active, you went out, you.did everything. Walked about, checking on everyone, made sure everything was running smoothly. Everything. It was then that I knew that I cared about you more than anything, but you made it seem as though that was alright, but you'd rather be friends." Kes dropped down.  
  
"I'm sorry that I hurt you by dating Alex. I really am. If I had known."  
  
"Then you would have done what every other guy I liked did: gotten creeped out and walked away. Why do you think I kept it to myself? Why do you think I stayed back all the time? If I had gone with you, it would have come out in the open too soon, and killed me. I'm sensitive to a lot of things, you know that. This sort of thing isn't something that you just come out and say when you're afraid of how people will react to your jokes. When you're afraid to do something on your own because you think you'll do it wrong. Quinn, I've always been afraid of my next step, because I'm never sure what's going to happen. I hate being embarrassed, but sometimes, you just can't stop it." Kes reached out, and took his hands. He lifted his eyes to hers. She smiled.  
  
"We have to get to London, before anyone gets hurt. Please, Quinn. Let's go." He stood up, and so did she. They smiled at each other, and headed back outside.  
  
"Found him!" Kes called, waving her hand at Ricky. He smiled when he saw that their hands were together. They jogged down, and stood in front of Ricky, as prepared as they could be for fighting deadly creatures. 


	4. Chapter 4

Kes stood, waiting for Quinn to get into the helicopter. She was last to load, and therefore, had the power to hold them back.  
  
"Kes! Kes!!" a voice cried. She turned around, and Zene came running to her from Jared's watch.  
  
"Zene? What is it, hon? You alright?" she asked, kneeling down. He threw himself at her, holding her.  
  
"I don't want you to go! What if you don't come back?! What if you end up like your brother?" he cried. Kes ran her hand over his head, trying to calm him, and gave Jared a look.  
  
"Don't worry, Zene. I won't die. It's too soon for me to go see Denton. I'll be coming back, don't you worry. And just to prove it, I'm giving you this." She slid the tooth off her neck, and gently put it around his. "You wear this, and protect it until I come back. Alright? Because I know I can count on you." A smile came through his tears, and she held him once more.  
  
"You take care, alright?"  
  
"Okay, Kes." He waved, and went with Jared. Kes waved to him, and got into the helicopter.  
  
They started off, and as they neared London, Kes reached out and took Quinn's hand. He looked at her.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked. She shook her head.  
  
"Why?" Ricky asked.  
  
"Well, I guess I'm as okay as anyone who's gone off to fight dragons can be." Quinn smiled.  
  
"It'll be alright. Remember: we've done it once, we can do it again." Kes sighed, and Quinn hugged her. She hugged him back.  
  
"I just can't stop thinking about my brother." Ricky looked at her.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Denton. I can't stop thinking about what happened to him." Quinn pulled back, and looked at her.  
  
"He was your brother?" Kes stopped. After a moment she realized that she had said that.  
  
"Yea, he was. He was older than me and Ricky, and that's why he gave me that tooth: I was his weakness."  
  
"Where did you put it now?" Quinn asked, touching her neck.  
  
"I gave it to Zene to hold on to, so that I have a reason to come back alive." He nodded. She reached up, and touched his hand. He took hers in his, and looked at her.  
  
"London is in sight. I repeat, London is in sight." They looked up, and saw the city before them, in horrifying condition.  
  
"I never thought I would say this, but I want to go home," Ricky said. Kes laughed.  
  
"What?" Quinn asked.  
  
"Back home, there is a little more than enough to get by on, but people will kill for food. I mean, I've gone down the road, and seen someone eating a human. Cannibalism, man. I guess when you've got nothing, you can do what you will." Kes nodded, and looked out as they landed. They got out of the helicopter, and Alex went around the nose of the copter, catching up with them on the other side. They hunkered down low on the steps nearby.  
  
"Kes, I wanted to ask you something," Quinn said.  
  
"Shoot."  
  
"When we stopped Eddie from going harvesting, why did he say you were one of them? What was he talking about?"  
  
"Well, there are two ways to interpret that. One way is that I'm one of the American's, which is something I cannot deny. But the other.is that I'm one of them," she said, nodding her head at the dragons. Quinn looked at her.  
  
"Are you?"  
  
"In a way. I was born with a mark, a mark that denotes my destiny. I can stay human, and never risk my life for those I love. Or I can become a creature of such power, that I can no longer be human. So I could become a dragon, and protect you guys, but I am not sure if I should." Quinn reached over, taking her hand.  
  
"Whether you do or not is up to you." They stole into the city, and slid down into a tunnel. Kes was the last to jump down, barely missing being seen by a dragon.  
  
"He's up there."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"The male. He is about twenty feet from the hole, now. But he does not know we're here. Which, in my opinion, is a good thing." Quinn nodded, and they raced down the tunnel, trying to find a way out, into the center of town, to fight that dragon.  
  
Kes made sure they were on the ladder going up before she even tried to climb. She went slowly, trying to decide whether or not to reach her destiny. She got partway up, and stopped. Something from her past came flooding into her mind.  
  
"Momma! What is this?" she asked, running up to the woman in the living room. She stopped her, and looked at the mark on her back. The woman stopped cold. "Momma? You alright?"  
  
"Kes, you have the mark."  
  
"Mark? What mark?" Her mother placed the tip of her finger on the mark that rested on the small of her back.  
  
"This mark signifies your destiny. It is the mark of the Dragon Child."  
  
"Dragon Child?" Her mother nodded.  
  
"A day will come when you will face a challenge: you must either sacrifice your life as a human to save those you love, and care about, or stay human, and let the problem do what it wishes."  
  
"What's that mean, momma?" she asked, sitting down. Her mother sighed.  
  
"It means one day, you will be faced with a problem. A problem that will threaten the lives of those you love, those you care about. If you choose not to follow that path, then you shall stay human forever, and the problem will do what it wishes to those you love. If you choose to follow your destined path, then you will turn into a dragon, and protect them. But keep in mind that if you pursue that route, then you can never become human again. Ever. Most things of your human life shall follow you to your dragon life, but there are some things, things that were very important and special to you, that you will never remember again.."  
  
"Kes! Denton! Ricky! Run! Now!" her mother screamed. Kes lifted her head, and saw her mother ducking, trying to avoid the dragons swooping about. As one came from behind, her parents not seeing it, her heart rate increased, and she could feel the air building in her lungs.  
  
"Mom!!!! Dad!!!!!" The dragon had them in its mouth before she finished saying "Dad." Her eyes widened as they filled with tears.  
  
"NO!!!!" she screamed, and tried to run to them, to save them. Denton and Ricky grabbed her, hauled her away, and ran to their home, down into their basement, and on into their bomb shelter. Kes began to cry, and hit Denton as Ricky locked the door.  
  
"Why didn't you let me go? Why didn't you let me save them?! I have the mark! I am the Dragon Child! I could have saved them!!!" she cried, beating against his chest. He grabbed her, and tossed her onto the cot.  
  
"You sit there and be quiet! You're too young to change, Kes. They would have wiped your bones clean before you could ever roar, understand? You had no chance!" Denton said, pointing his finger into her face.  
  
"Yes I did!" she cried, pressing her head against the bars of the ladder. Ricky looked down.  
  
"Did what?" She looked up.  
  
"I could have save mom and dad, Ricky! Didn't you notice that the only dragon still there was a child?" He reached down, grabbed her hand, and pulled her up, racing to catch up to Quinn and Alex.  
  
"What were you screaming about back there?" Quinn asked.  
  
"I'm the Dragon Child.my mother told me the myth, the legend.the sacrifice I would make. And the day they died, I wanted to change. I wanted to save them, but Denton and Ricky refused to let me." Quinn grabbed her hand.  
  
"I'm glad they did. Otherwise, I wouldn't have met you." Kes smiled. The dragon landed. Alex handed out the weapons of choice, and they split up. Alex climbed up, above the others, on the roof of a small house. Kes parked herself in a darkened little corner that was getting hit just right, the dragon hadn't a clue she was there. Quinn and Ricky were supposed to go across the street, run when the dragon wasn't looking. Somehow, Quinn stumbled, and the dragon looked. They were frozen in the middle of the road. Kes stood as she realized they had a problem.  
  
"Run, you guys! Run!" she called. They tried, but somehow, they couldn't move. She ran, hauling her weapon with her. Pushing herself to a charge, she knocked them off the road and to the side before the dragon could burn them.  
  
"Kes! You were supposed to stay over.what are you doing?" She dropped her bag, and looked at them.  
  
"Keep these with you. You may need them." She started out into the middle of the road, covered in debris from the London that Quinn had once known, and loved. Her eyes flashed from her normal eyes to dragon eyes, causing the dragon to stand there, not move.  
  
"You think you are tough, don't you? Picking on people so much smaller than you. It's like us picking on an ant. It isn't fair. So this is it. I fight you. I follow my destiny, I become the Dragon Child I was supposed to become. And this time, no one can stop me." She stopped in front of the creature, and Alex, Quinn, and Ricky watched as her skin began to turn green, and scaly. She turned her head, as she grew a longer face, and looked at Quinn.  
  
"I love you, guys. I love you a lot." She closed her eyes as her body grew, stretched, and a metamorphosis took place, changing her from a human to a dragon. The other dragon froze a little, seemingly confused. Kes pressed her wings against her body, and looked up at the other creature. Taking a breath, she reared back, and spit. Nailed the other creature in the face, causing it to scream. She gave a look to her brother, and he fired an arrow into the male. Kes blocked her face with her wing as the creature exploded. She began to flap her wings no more than a moment later, and rose up into the air. They watched her, then began to run after her, keeping safely out of sight.  
  
They watched as she looked around London, unhappy with how it looked. She turned to Ricky, and the last bit of human voice she had came out.  
  
"Run. Go back to the helicopter, and keep down. This will not take long. Count to ten from the time you get the copter into the air, then fire all your weapons into the city. Go!" Ricky and Alex began running, but they had to haul Quinn to get him to leave. Alex got in, and started the copter. As they rose up, Quinn and Ricky looked out, behind the copter, to see what Kes had in store. Flames rose above London, grasping at everything it could. The city screamed as it burned to the ground. Dragons were dieing here and there, none were able to escape the fire, the death.  
  
"One.." Alex called. They turned and looked at her, and sighed.  
  
"Two." Ricky said.  
  
"Three. Four. Five," Quinn continued.  
  
"Six. Seven." Alex said.  
  
"Eight. Nine," Ricky said. They all looked at each other.  
  
"Ten!" they cried, and Alex fired the weapon on the copter as Quinn and Ricky fired their weapons (and Alex and Kes') into the city, causing the flames to explode, and cause more destruction. Quinn's weapon ran out, and he dropped it off the side of the copter as he realized that Kes never flew out of the city.  
  
It had been a week. Kes had not been seen since the fire that they made that destroyed London and all those dragons. Quinn missed her, more than anyone, but didn't let them know because he barely talked to anybody. Especially the kids, who really wanted him to talk. Continually they asked where Kes was, but they never got an answer.  
  
He stood, leaning out the window of the little chapel that was in the castle. Jared was in the next room with Ricky and Alex, telling the kids a story. The sun had begun to set, and Quinn's eyes were staring out at the mountains. He saw something, a figure, standing on them, looking around. Quinn stood up straighter as the figure began to slide down the mountain, towards the castle. The kids went passed him, giving him their goodnights, and then, the room was silent again.  
  
"Jared!" The boy walked into the room.  
  
"Yea, Quinn?" He pointed out the window.  
  
"Tell me what you see." He looked out, squinted, and pulled back.  
  
"Looks like a person," he said. They ran from the room. Ricky walked in, Alex behind him.  
  
"Where are you going?" he called.  
  
"Someone is coming this way!" Jared exclaimed. Ricky and Alex ran after them.  
  
They burst outside, and ran into the gravel before they noticed that something was behind one pile of stones. Quinn ran over, and slid around it. Zene's little dragon friend looked up at him. Quinn sighed.  
  
"Your lost, aren't you, buddy?" he asked, and dropped down to pick it up. He reached down, and lifted it into his arms. Jared sighed.  
  
"What did you think it was, Quinn?"  
  
"Well.nevermind. It's silly." Ricky shook his head.  
  
"You thought it was Kes, didn't you?"  
  
"I hoped it was." Ricky patted his shoulder.  
  
"So did I, Quinn. So did I."  
  
They walked inside, and Quinn headed up to Zene. The little boy stared at the ceiling.  
  
"Zene?" he asked. He looked over.  
  
"Yea?"  
  
"Here. You may have a pet," Quinn said, handing Zene the dragon. Zene laughed, and took her.  
  
"Jess? Where'd you find her?"  
  
"Outside. I think she must have come looking for you, because she managed to come here." Zene held her, and smiled.  
  
"Thank you, Quinn." Quinn nodded, rustled his hair, and headed to his own room.  
  
The moon shone down brightly that night, despite the fact that clouds passed over every few moments. He couldn't sleep, so he just stared up at the ceiling. Closing his eyes for a brief moment, he thought back to the first night Kes had her own room. It was about the same time, almost midnight, and she wasn't able to sleep alone. She got up, and came to his room, opening the door. Quinn could hear it in his head as he remembered. Kes had walked over, and curled up next to him. Only then did he realize something. Someone else was in his room.  
  
He opened his eyes, and saw his door slightly open. Quinn had completely shut it when he came in. He heard someone breathing, and felt as they slid down beside him on the bed. The person sighed, and his eyes widened.  
  
"Kes?" he whispered. 


	5. Chapter 5

He felt the breath slide up his chest, and hit his face. But the person still said nothing. He reached over, and struck a match, then lit the lamp beside him. Kes' face glowed in the light of the flame. She was smiling, with two marks coming up from her chin (on both sides of her face), and stopping at the center of her bottom eyelids. He pulled back, looking down at her.

"Kes?" he asked. She smiled.

"Hi, Quinn."

"I thought you…I mean, didn't you say…?" She sat up, and touched his stomach.

"Shhh…" Leaning over, she kissed him. He pulled back, and looked at her.

"You said that turning into a dragon meant that you can never become human again. What happened?" he asked. She looked down, smiling.

"I don't know, Quinn. I was sitting, outside of London, tending to my burns from that fire. One minute, I'm covering a burn on my stomach from the wind with my wing, and the next, I'm holding my shirt over it. I'm still not entirely sure. All I know, Quinn, is I'm here, and I'm alive." She reached out, and took his hand. He smiled at her.

"I'm glad you're here."

"I'm glad I'm here too." She giggled, and leaned over him. Taking a breath, she put out the light, and laid down. "I'm tired. Can we go to sleep now?" Quinn nodded, and closed his eyes. Kes closed hers, too, and rested her head on the pillow.

Morning came, and Quinn opened his eyes to find himself alone. He sat up quickly, and looked around the room. Kes was nowhere in sight. Afraid it was a dream, he hopped off his bed, slid his shoes on, and ran out into the hall, then down the steps. As he ran outside, he saw the kids running around, laughing, and, in front of them all, leading them in circles, was Kes. She wore a long sleeved black shirt, and a pair of blue jeans, and her eyes were closed to slits. Lifting her head, she saw Quinn, and smiled at him. He smiled back, and she walked over. Ricky, who had been standing off to the side, walked up behind the kids, Jared following him closely. She stepped up in front of Quinn, put her arms around his shoulders, and kissed him. He put his hands on her waist and kissed her back, pulling her close.

"Oooooh! Kes and Quinn sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" She pulled away, and turned around.

"Shut up, Ricky!" Turning her head back, she kissed him again, and pulled him into a hug. Ricky and Jared jogged over, and pushed Quinn back.

"Hey!"

"Stop hogging my sister…" Ricky laughed, and threw his arms around her, picking her up. She laughed. Jared hugged her, too, and the door opened. They all paused, turning around.

"Kes?" Zene asked. She smiled. "You came back!" He ran to her, and she picked him up, spinning around. He pulled away, and dropped the tooth around her neck.

"I told you I would, didn't I?" she asked, laughing. He smiled, and turned his head to see his little dragon come waddling out of the Castle. She glanced over, and looked to Quinn.

"Did you tell him he could have a pet?" she asked, setting Zene down. He nodded.

"Well…Jess found her way back here, and I thought, Zene needed someone," he said, watching the little boy pick up the dragon and dance about, giggling. She put her arm around Quinn's waist, and smiled.

It was nighttime again, sooner than Kes had wanted it to come. Quinn headed up to his room, after making his rounds to check on the children. She started down, heading outside, when she bumped shoulders with him.

"Hey, you headin' up?" he asked, pointing. She shook her head.

"I'm doing the double check tonight. I'll be up in a bit." Nodding, he continued up, and she continued down, peeking into the rooms, taking a count, and when she reached the main bedrooms, filled with bunks, she stretched up to see the kids on the top bunk, and bowed to see those on the bottom. Zene lay on his side, slightly snoring, with Jess under his arm. She, too, was lightly snoring. Giggling to herself, Kes did some quick math in her head, and nodded, walking towards the door.

She wandered outside, and looked around, seeing a single tank that the Americans had brought, slightly scorched, against the gate. Glancing up, she saw the watchman, and waved. He waved back, and walked away, to sit. Kes turned, and headed down a slight hill, and pulled up the broom that leaned against the side of the garage. She walked around to the back, and paused. Two stainless steel doors were glinting slightly in the moonlight, the lock that held them shut laying carefully in the dirt. She lifted the broom, placing the handle on her shoulder, and opened the doors, dropping down onto the steps. Looking around at the brightly lit room, she smiled. Little brass plates were screwed into the wall, with names and years scribbled on them. They were placed beneath a picture, and she walked across to one, that had a picture of Denton on it. The little brass plate had his name on it, then the year he was born to the year he died. She smiled sadly, and shook her head, walking away, down the tunnel. Kes could hear a clinking sound, and peeked around the corner. All she could see was the ruffled brown hair of a man in a black turtleneck sweater.

"What're you doin?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips. He jumped, and turned around.

"Surprised me, Kes…" Quinn said. She cocked her head at an angle, and started over.

"I thought you went to bed…"

"I saw this picture, and came down here to put it up with his name." She placed her hand against his back, and looked at the picture. It was of their friend, Creedy, who'd died not too long before Denton. She raised her hand, placing it against her lips, and took a deep breath.

"God, I miss him…" Quinn nodded.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked, turning back to finish fixing the brass plate.

"Came out for a little walk, and thought I'd come down here, when I saw the doors uncovered." He smiled. She set the broom against the wall, forgetting she'd been holding it for a while, and walked around the room. Pictures of Ajay, and Barlow were there, plus pictures of others who'd died because of a dragon. "They shouldn't have died. None of them should have died." She looked away, and lifted her eyes to Quinn's.

"I know, Kes…Come on," he said, waving his hand. She walked over, picking up the broom. "Let's go inside…" He placed his arm around her shoulder, and they headed towards the steps, him pulling down the switch, shutting off the lights.

The moon shone down directly into Kes' eyes, and she squeezed them together, tighter, trying to keep it out. Rolling onto her side, she let out a small gasp as she fell to the cold floor. With a groan, she pushed herself onto her back, and stared up at the ceiling, her blanket wrapped around her waist and covering one leg. Quinn yawned, and rolled over, but didn't wake up. She sighed, and sat up, pulling herself off the ground, and ripping her blanket from her body. She felt a drop of sweat fall down her cheek as she pushed open the door, and walk out. She was tired, but she couldn't sleep, so she just wandered down the hallway, and up the steps, to the watchtower. The man who was sitting there turned around in his chair, nodded to her, and went back to watching the window.

"Why don't you take a bit off?" she asked. "I can watch this for a little while…Go get some coffee or somethin'," she said, smiling. He nodded.

"I'll be back in fifteen, Kes."

"Alright, Jack." Jack stood, walking out the door, patting her shoulder. She walked to the edge, and leaned against it, watching the dark sky as the moon rose higher. She sighed.

"Creedy? I know you can hear me…" she whispered, closing her eyes. She pictured his smiling face in her mind, and smiled, herself. "I know you can hear me, because I know that you'll never be gone from us. So I just want you to listen. You never had to die. It was a split-second decision you made. You shouldn't be dead. You should still be here, with us, glad that the second known male is dead, praying that there aren't anymore. Praying that any eggs the females have laid, and were fertilized, are females, as well. Praying that all we have left to do in our lifetimes is rebuild. You were always there, Creedy…" she said, and smiled again. "You and Jared were there if I needed to talk. You were the first person I ever told that I cared for Quinn. And I'm glad I told you. I believe it made me better. It let me get up, and start to move about again, because I knew I could talk to you…even if you couldn't talk back…" She sighed sadly, feeling the tear on her lips. Her head lowered, and she began to cry. She covered her face in her hands, shaking her shoulders as she cried. After a couple minutes, she wiped her eyes, and lifted her head. Turning around, she leaned backwards, closing her eyes, letting the moonlight fall onto her face. She stood up a bit straighter, considering going to sit, when she felt the lips land against hers. Her eyes opened, and she saw Quinn, standing there, his hands on her waist, kissing her. She pushed him back, and wiped her eye again.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "I thought you were asleep…"

"Yeah? I thought you were sleepin' too," he said, smiling. She nodded.

"I was…but I woke up, and couldn't fall back asleep, so I just came up here to think…"

"About?"

"Creedy…" Quinn nodded, not needing her to say anything more.

"Come on…let's go back down. Let Jack know to come back up here," he said, smiling. She nodded, hooking her arm thru his, and walked out the door, and down the steps, passing Jack on the way.

Kes rolled over, throwing her arm over Quinn's shoulder. He slid his hand over her bare stomach, kissing her forehead. She sighed, content, in her sleep, and moved her head a bit closer. He leaned closer, pushing his lips against hers, and she opened her eyes.

"Quinn, what are you doing? It's five AM…" she mumbled, yawning a little. He smiled.

"I know…and we don't have to be up for another three hours," he said softly, reaching up and running a finger over her cheek. She smiled, but shook her head.

"Quinn…once again…its five…AM…I need to sleep…" she whispered, and closed her eyes. He slid his fingers down over her arm, across her stomach, and brushed them against her bare hips, and smiled.

"C'mon, Kes…" he said, kissing her shoulder. Her eyes opened again, and she looked up at him.

"Quinn…" she muttered, rolling onto her back and holding the sheet against her body. He moved her hand, placed his hands on her waist, and lifted her up, pulling over her over and sitting her on his lap. She gasped a little, looking down at him. "Oh, Quinn…" she said softly, and he slid down, laying on his back, and clasped his hands on her hips.

"Let's give it another go…" he said, smirking, pulling her down and kissing her. He squeezed his hands harder into her hips, lifting her up a bit and dropping her back down. She moaned, and began to move herself. After a minute, he rolled over, so he was on her, and began to move himself, his lips still pressed against hers. She was moaning and groaning under his body and his movements, and slid her hands up onto his shoulders, and down his back, tugging at the sheet so that it was up, covering his waist.

She finally arched her back, crying out, and he dropped into her arms. She took in a deep breath, as he rolled off her, slipping his arms around her.

"You…are…amazing…Kes…" he said, brushing his lips over her neck. She smiled, sliding against him.

"So are…you…Quinn…" she said softly, kissing him. He slid his hand over her waist, and she rested her head on his chest, running her fingers across his stomach. He smiled, kissing the top of her head, and she looked up as someone knocked on the door. Groaning, she wrapped the sheet around her as Quinn pulled his jeans on. He walked over, opening the door, and looked out.

"Zene? What's up?" he asked. Behind him, Kes pulled her clothes back on, and ran her fingers thru her hair, pushing it back off her shoulders.

"There…were screams…and I woke up…and got scared…" he said quietly. Kes blushed, and rolled over rubbing her fingers against her cheeks. Quinn smiled, and stepped back.

"C'mon in, Zene…" He ran in, and paused when he saw Kes, but jumped up on the bed next to her.

"Kes, Kes!" he cried. She put her arms around him, and he curled up beside her. Quinn closed the door, and turned around, winking. She smiled, and Zene quickly fell asleep in Quinn's spot. She looked up at him, and reached over, taking Quinn's hand as he walked up.

"He took your place," she whispered.

"I know…But I can lay over here…It'll prevent any more urges I get tonight…er…this morning…" he whispered, smiling. She nodded, and rolled onto her side, arm over Zene's waist, and closed her eyes. Quinn leaned down, kissing her quickly, before laying down on the other bed.

Quinn rolled over, and threw his arm over someone, and opened his eyes, slightly surprised. Kes was curled up beside him, her shirt hung up on the bedpost, and he glanced across the room. The door was closed, and Zene was gone, and she had the sheet wrapped around her, but he could tell she was still wearing her jeans. He smiled, and kissed the back of her shoulder, causing her to twitch, and roll towards him.

"Mornin', Kes," he mumbled, stifling a yawn. She smiled, lifting her head at the sound of his voice.

"Hiya…" He moved a little, and glanced down at himself. He was still in his jeans, but they were no longer buttoned, and, moving his eyes, he noticed hers weren't, either.

"Did we…" he asked, motioning, "again, this morning?" She glanced down, and shrugged, sliding closer.

"If we did…I was sleeping…" she said, smiling, burying her head in his shoulder.

"Yea…me too…But then why is your shirt off?"

"Got warm," she said softly, brushing her lips over his shoulder, and sliding her arms around him. He put his arms around her shoulders, and held her near him.

"I'm glad you're here…" he muttered.

"Me too…" She sighed again, rubbing her hand against his back, and lifted her head, looking at him. "What time is it?" she asked. Quinn moved his head, looking at the clock he had on the wall.

"Almost ten…"

"Think we should be getting up?" she asked, slipping back a little. He shrugged.

"I don't care…"

"Unless you want them to begin to think they know what we did last night…and this morning, perhaps we should…" He bent his head, kissing her, and nodded, pulling the sheet back. She rolled away, dropping her feet to the floor, and slid her shirt on over her head. As she stood, Quinn walked up to her, and ran his hands around her waist, pulling her close, and kissed her again. She smiled into the kiss, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.


End file.
